Transition
metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) intercalated with spin-bearing
transition metal centers are a diverse class of magnetic materials
where the spin density and ordering behavior can be varied by the
choice of host lattice, intercalant identity, level of intercalation,
and intercalant disorder. Each of these degrees of freedom alters
the interplay between several key magnetic interactions to produce
disparate collective electronic and magnetic phases. The array of
magnetic and electronic behavior typified by these systems renders
them distinctive platforms for realizing tunable magnetism in solid-state
materials and promising candidates for spin-based electronic devices.
This Perspective provides an overview of the rich magnetism displayed
by transition metal-intercalated TMDs by considering Fe- and Cr-intercalated
NbS2 and TaS2. These four exemplars of this
large family of materials exhibit a wide range of magnetic properties,
including sharp switching of magnetic states, current-driven magnetic
switching, and chiral spin textures. An understanding of the fundamental
origins of the resultant magnetic/electronic phases in these materials
is discussed in the context of composition, bonding, electronic structure,
and magnetic anisotropy in each case study.